HILL BRIEFS

U.S. Attorney: Undocumented Immigrants Are Not Criminals

Tue. Apr. 29, 2008


The top federal prosecutor in New Jersey, widely considered to be a leading Republican candidate for governor next year, surprised a public forum over the weekend by saying that sneaking into the United States is not a criminal act.

“Being in this country without proper documentation is not a crime,” U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie told more than 60 residents and town officials in Dover, N.J., the Newark Star-Ledger reported Monday.

“Don’t let people make you believe that that’s a crime that the U.S. Attorney’s Office should be doing something about,” he added. “It is not.” Instead, Christie said, the problem of undocumented immigration is “an administrative matter” that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement should address.

“If there are people out there committing crimes, they should be dealt with,” Christie said. “If there are undocumented people running around, then Immigration and Customs Enforcement should do their jobs.”

In 2005, Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., introduced legislation to criminalize any undocumented status. The attempt was unsuccessful, but it triggered massive pro-immigrant marches across the nation.

Tue. Apr. 29, 2008